When do we know the people we love best? When things are easy or when life doesn't turn out as we expect? In Alex Shearer’s new novel This Is the Life, we meet two brothers who have been estranged for some time. When one of the brothers, Louis, is diagnosed with a brain tumor, they are reunited under difficult-to-navigate circumstances. Our narrator discovers Louis, whom he thought he knew, is so much more, but is the Louis in his brain a better version of the man himself?

Loosely based on his own life experience when his brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Shearer may be writing about himself as the brother who frequently gets frustrated with Louis’ situation, treatment and odd behavior. Shearer uses a jumping timeline to compare the Louis of the past and the Louis of the present — the stark contrast between the functioning Louis and the Louis in the hospice highlights how quickly and devastatingly cancer can render someone so helpless.

This is not a sentimental look at family members going through illness together, but a brutally honest account of the “little things” that no one reveals when confronted with terminal illness. Day-to-day operations such as haircuts, grocery shopping, paying bills and cleaning become almost impossible; further down-the-line tasks like writing a will and long-term hospice care are even more daunting. It's this honesty that makes the book successful. There are no punches pulled here. Each frustration and set back is out in the open. It reminds us that while those who are sick will of course receive the most attention and care, there exists a network of caregivers who may also be suffering and need resources.

Those who are looking for solidarity in a character navigating the hardship of caring for someone, or fans of Anna Quindlen’s One True Thing or We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg will find a captivating story in the pages of this novel.